my approach to slapping

JackWhite · #1 06-28-2007, 06:36 AM

hey guys!
first of all, ive watched the sticky and used the search function but i couldnt find a satisfying answer.

so here's my question. lately i got quite into slapping. i already can do POW quite properly, but i found out something thats kind of VERY VERY strange.

here's the point. speedwise i can do POW at about 110 to 125 bpm
yesterday i tried to play level 42's hot water. listened to it, got that riff. im able to play it slow. but the constant slapping on the e-string (muted) is very exhausting for me in normal speed (id say its about 100 bpm). i found out that my shoulder gets very tired.

so this must mean, that i get my power out of my shoulder in slapping general. is this completely wrong? should the slap motion be just out of my wrist or is a little help from my shoulder acceptable? im afraid im aqurining a wrong technique here.

i tried to slap just out of my wrist today, its very strange feeling cause my naturally movement would be with help from my shoulder.

maybe ill upload a small video later to show you my slap motion!

thx for your help in advance!
jack

KidFunky · #2 06-28-2007, 06:49 AM

DANGER DANGER DANGER!
just the wrist man, and even then don't flail about but stay close! :-)

JKT · #3 06-28-2007, 06:52 AM

so here's my question. lately i got quite into slapping. i already can do POW quite properly, but i found out something thats kind of VERY VERY strange.

Okay, please forgive this older not so cyber-hip bass player.

What exactly is POW?

JKT

JackWhite · #4 06-28-2007, 06:59 AM

wow. thanks for that very fast answer kidfunky! here's the vid i made. it would be really nice of you guys to watch it and tell me whats wrong with my technique! im also not able to pluck very fast lets say, 8th notes are hard. but i think thats just practice practice practice!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DNT57EBQ

oh yeah. and POW is a song from larry graham. a great slapper!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1IuD6F3R5I

Thunderfly · #5 06-28-2007, 07:04 AM

The action of the slap should just come from the forearms, with the radius and ulna really being the only bones (alongside their muscles, too many to mention here) that are needed to complete the movement. If you are feeling pain in your shoulder, you could be unconciously deploying your whole arm into the movement, which isn't necessary, or it could be that you have your arm at an angle that is cause nerves to be trapped in the shoulder blade. Get used to isolating the slap action by playing very slowly until you become accustommed to the isolated wrist action (fnar!!!). Sit down and play so that your body is relaxed, before doing this standing up (as your body naturally tenses - especially over the shoulders - as you have a big lump of wood and metal dangling off it). I've seen a lot of players do this where they think to provide a big meaty slap sound, they move their entire arm (even incorporating the pecs in the movement, way too much overkill) when a simple wrist flick does the job just as well

JackWhite · #6 06-28-2007, 09:00 AM

more things i found out:
when slapping A and plucking G string its much easier to not use my shoulder. i think on E and D i used it more, but not that much.

only if i have to slap really fast i feel that my shoulder "wants to help me" so i think its just a practice thing.

but ONE other important question. what do my index and middle finger do when i slap with my thumb? because right now im quite doing a claw and the nails of my fingers (especially index, middle, ring) hit on my pickguard. sometimes really hard. so i think thats wrong technique too, hitting the pickguard with my plucking fingers.

any special tip or advice you can give me where i should point my fingers to when slapping?

i got a great book (jon liebmann!) and i read that the thumb shall be parallel to the strings. i do so. but theres nothing written for the fingers

sorry for all those questions!

KidFunky · #7 06-28-2007, 09:41 AM

Personally I think that relaxation is key, and even more important, don't speed up/progress too fast. It is all about TIME and GROOVE.

Your fingers can be doing all kinds of things including popping other strings muting, providing leverage, who knows!? It all depends on what you are playing. But

Master at slow speeds first. Also, videos can help. Try Alexis Slarevski Slap Bass Program. All imo btw, I am only just learning many of these things myself.

morf · #8 06-28-2007, 09:43 AM

I slap from the wrist, shoulder does not come into play. Just relax completely, and you'll get it after practice.

JackWhite · #9 06-28-2007, 10:12 AM

thx for your advice! ill try it slow and relaxed =)

btw: thats a DAMN NICE godin there in your avatar morf! congrats on that

Scot · #10 06-28-2007, 03:04 PM

I didn't see the video of your playing in the link you posted...

I agree 100% with everyone who says to relax and use the wrist. Flea is a guy who comes to mind that seems to use quite a bit of arm in his slap playing (and he certainly sounds great to my ears) but I think that's more the exception than the rule. I think you might find that when you start relaxing more and using more of a wrist motion the problem with the tips of your index and ring fingers becoming sore (I know exactly what you mean) will go away and you will be able to pull off the lines you're playing more comfortably and cleanly and will not become fatigued as quickly.

Here is how I approach the movement (assuming you're playing "right-handed"):

Put your right thumb out in front of you as if you're giving a "thumbs-up" to an imaginary person standing in front of you. Now rotate your wrist 90 degrees counter-clockwise - you've just moved your thumb from "12 o'clock" to "9 o'clock". Now move it back to "12 o'clock". This is the movement I make when thumbing and I keep the thumb (and RH) VERY relaxed so that it sort of slightly bounces off the string when I strike it with the little bone right on the joint (NOTE: this is different than the "playing through the string" approach where the string is struck with a different part of the thumb).

Another side benefit of using this type of motion as opposed to pulling the arm away from the bass is that you can use the palm of your RH to mute open strings and, in general, help the left hand with the muting tasks involved. I use RH muting quite a bit in my slap bass playing.

MammaryVest · #11 06-28-2007, 04:48 PM

I believe when he says POW, he is referring to the Larry Graham song.

morf · #12 06-29-2007, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackWhite

thx for your advice! ill try it slow and relaxed =)

btw: thats a DAMN NICE godin there in your avatar morf! congrats on that

Thanks man

JackWhite · #13 06-29-2007, 05:58 AM

thx for your tips scot.

ok, now i know theorey, i think ill just have to get used to that and stay relaxed. as very often i just try too many things too fast!

Scot · #14 06-29-2007, 10:36 AM

Another thing to keep in mind is that you don't have to whack the hell out ot the string to get a good sound. It's more about contacting the string at the right place with the right part of the thumb. It's sort of like a golf swing in that sense.

KidFunky · #15 06-29-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackWhite

thx for your tips scot.

ok, now i know theorey, i think ill just have to get used to that and stay relaxed. as very often i just try too many things too fast!

Going too fast too soon is why I went from a promising player to a seriously lacking one who wasted years. I have now started over from scratch and am much happier with my slow steady, but SOLID progress . :-)

DWBass · #16 06-29-2007, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KidFunky

Going too fast too soon is why I went from a promising player to a seriously lacking one who wasted years. I have now started over from scratch and am much happier with my slow steady, but SOLID progress . :-)

Same here! As a kid I just couldn't grasp how to slap and discovered it by accident. I got mad during a band rehearsal (this is back in the 70's) and whacked my bass hard and a slap sound came out and I was enlightened!!

TheBassBetween · #17 06-29-2007, 02:12 PM

I think Flea uses his arm/shoulder a lot, but his lines are really aggressive. I just played along with Coffee Shop by the Chili Peppers, and I ended up using a lot of shoulder just to keep up to speed with Flea.

Plantbrain · #18 06-29-2007, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

Same here! As a kid I just couldn't grasp how to slap and discovered it by accident. I got mad during a band rehearsal (this is back in the 70's) and whacked my bass hard and a slap sound came out and I was enlightened!!

Yep, same thing here. I was mad at an ex and owe it all to her.
I wonder how many of us came to it from that angle?

Tom